1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for stabilizing a tree stand having a platform which is supported from above, by exerting a downward force on the platform of the stand. The stabilizer thus pulls downwardly on the distal end of the platform to hold the tree stand in firm engagement with the tree.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tree stands are well known to hunters and bird watchers as a mechanism for providing both an increased field of vision for the observer and lessening the likelihood that the occupant will be observed by wildlife. Tree stands, as the name implies, are supported on the tree at an elevated height above the ground, typically ten feet or more. Some tree stands are constructed by nailing boards into the tree and others involve platforms supported by braces extending between the platform and the tree. Commercially manufactured stands are usually safer than homemade stands as the latter are left in the tree and weathering causes the wood to rot and the nails to pull free over time.
One group of tree stands enjoying emerging popularity are portable stands which may be quickly and easily attached to and removed from the tree without damage thereto. For example, a law in Pennsylvania prohibits stands that might damage trees. These stands are commonly known as fixed-position stands which account for a large portion of the tree stand market. Fixed-position and some other types of stands usually have a platform which includes structure for engaging the tree (such as a bar, toothed member or V-shaped yoke) and a supporting member thereabove from which the stand hangs or is otherwise supported. The supporting structure for these stands is typically a strap, brace or other device which attaches to or around the tree and extends downwardly to support the platform. The user stands on the platform and his or her weight is supported by the supporting structure.
Unfortunately, these stands may slip, shift or loosen and cause the user to fall during use as the user shifts his or her weight. This problem is most acute when the user moves to the portion of the platform most proximate the tree. The user's weight may overcome the forces which hold the tree-engaging portion and the supporting structure to the tree. Because over twenty-eight percent of all hunting accidents in the United States are related to tree stand use, a need has developed to reduce the risk that such fixed-position stands may collapse or shift, causing the hunter to fall.